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Jack Keller
a year after graduating from West Reading High School, creating a single-appearance feature called "The Whistler" (no relation to the radio-show character) in Dell Comics' War Stories #5 (1942; no cover date). This led to work the following year with Quality Comics, where he worked in lesser or greater capacities on such comic-book series as Blackhawk and such features as "Man Hunter" and "Spin Shaw". As well, Keller drew backgrounds for Will Eisner's eight-page Newspaper Sunday-supplement comic The Spirit, working with serviceman Eisner's World War II fill-in artist, Lou Fine, and such Fiction House features as "Suicide Smith" in the aviation-themed Wings Comics.Jack Keller at the Grand Comics Database '' #92 (Sept. 1960)]] In 1950, Keller became a staff artist at Atlas, publisher Martin Goodman's '50s predecessor to Marvel Comics. The dependable, unflashy Keller drew Western, horror and, working with writer Carl Wessler, crime stories. Kid Colt and hot rods Keller began his long association with Kid Colt in Kid Colt, Outlaw #25 (March 1953). He stayed with the character for at least a dozen years in that signature title, as well as in such anthology series as All Western Winners, Two-Gun Western and Gunsmoke Western. In 1955, Keller also began freelancing for the low-budget Charlton Comics, based in Derby, Connecticut, drawing Western and war stories for titles including Billy the Kid, Cheyenne Kid, Battlefield Action, Fightin' Air Force, Fightin' Army, Fightin' Marines and Submarine Attack. Following the near-demise of Atlas' comic-book line in 1957, and the accompanying cutbacks and firings, Keller supplemented his income by returning to his home town and working in a car dealership. Within two years, he would be back freelancing for Atlas / Marvel. By this time, Keller was also indulging his love of race cars and model cars by writing and drawing such Charlton comics as Grand Prix, Hot Rod Racers, Hot Rods and Racing Cars, Teenage Hotrodders, Drag 'n' Wheels, Surf 'n' Wheels and World of Wheels. He stopped drawing for Marvel Comics by 1967, when Kid Colt, Outlaw had become mostly reprints, then drew a small number of stories for DC Comics from 1968 to 1971, including for the licensed toy-car comic Hot Wheels. He also continued to draw for Charlton, where his last known comics work was the cover and the accompanying eight-page story "The Rescuers" in the combat title Attack #14 (Nov. 1973). Comics writer and historian Tony Isabella wrote that Keller }} Later career and death Keller returned to selling cars at Marshall Chevrolet in Reading, Pennsylvania and later was a part-time salesperson for Fun Stuff Hobbies and for Kiddie Kar Kollectibles. Keller died at St. Joe's Hospital in Reading, age 80, on January 2, 2003. He was buried at Forest Hills cemetery in Reiffton, Pennsylvania, and was survived by sons Richard and Robert, and by a sister, Vivian Riegel. Critical assessment Cartoonist and columnist Fred Hembeck wrote that, (requires scrolldown)}} References Further reading * Jack Keller interview, Comic Book Artist #12, March 2001, pp. 78–83 * Charlton Spotlight #3 (Winter/Spring 2004), p. 61: "Jack Keller Flags Home" External links * Jack Keller at the Lambiek Comiclopedia * Kid Colt, Outlaw at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived October 25, 2011 * Kid Colt at An International Catalogue of Superheroes.WebCitation archive. * | Notes = | Trivia = | OfficialWebsite = | Links = * http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Jack_Keller }} Category:Pencilers Category:Inkers